


Semper Fidelis

by hapakitsune



Category: Generation Kill, Social Network (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-21
Updated: 2012-03-21
Packaged: 2017-11-02 07:15:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/366375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hapakitsune/pseuds/hapakitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris meets Nate Fick at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and eventually they fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Semper Fidelis

Chris meets Nate Fick in the middle of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He had watched Nate’s speech from his spot sort of in the back of the crowd and had liked it. It’s partially that Nate is pretty attractive, with a plush mouth and a clear gaze that betrays his idealism. But he also has a direct manner that Chris appreciates.

Chris runs into Nate later after the nomination is announced. He holds out his hand and says, "Hi, I’m Chris. Great speech."

Nate smiles and shakes his hand. "Thanks. You’re the tech guy, right? You run that website for Obama?"

Chris winces internally at being referred to as the "tech guy," but he keeps smiling and says, "Yeah, that’s me."

"You’re doing a great job," Nate says with the kind of sincerity that Chris hasn’t seen since Eduardo left for Singapore. "Congratulations."

"I didn’t really do much," Chris says, embarrassed.

"Come on," Nate says, smiling. "Don’t be so modest. You’ve done a lot. How old are you, anyway?"

"Twenty-four," Chris admits and Nate whistles.

"And you’ve done so much," he says, a little wistfully. "I read about you. You helped found Facebook, right?"

"Not really," Chris says, because it’s true. "And when you were my age, you had already been a Captain in the Marines."

Nate’s eyes shutter a little and he nods. "Yeah," he says slowly. "That’s not exactly the same thing, though."

Chris feels guilty for bringing it up and asks, "Can I buy you a drink?" which is how they end up in a hotel bar, talking about literature. Nate is a contradiction, a Dartmouth alum in Classics who joined the Marines, then went to Harvard business school. Chris finds himself overwhelmed by the sheer wealth of Nate’s experiences and listens raptly to his stories about Dartmouth, about working in Washington. Chris convinces Nate to recite some of the lit he had read in college.

"Mark would like you," Chris says after Nate has rattled off a few lines of the Iliad. "He used to randomly quote Homer in Ancient Greek."

Nate laughs. "I’d probably like him, too," he admits. "What’s he like?"

Chris thinks for a moment, then says, "Brilliant. Insane. Kind of an asshole." He shrugs. "It’s hard to explain."

"I know someone like that," says Nate. "He’s a good guy underneath it all."

"So is Mark," says Chris. "He just doesn’t like to show it."

"That’s Brad, too," Nate says with a sloppy smile and he takes another gulp of his beer. "What about you, what did you study in school?"

"French literature," Chris says and after some coaxing from Nate, he finally says, " _Autrefois on rêvait de posséder le cœur de la femme dont on était amoureux; plus tard sentir qu’on possède le cœur d’une femme peut suffire à vous en rendre amoureux._ "

"What’s that?" asks Nate in a hushed voice, leaning forward. "It sounds beautiful."

"Proust," Chris says, feeling himself flush. Nate seems to realize how close he is, because he hurriedly leans back. "I’ve read _Swann’s Way_ five times."

"Impressive," says Nate. "That’s dedication."

Chris laughs and after a moment Nate joins in, as if realizing how ridiculous he sounds. Chris smiles at him. "It’s just a book."

"Well, I’ve never made it through once," says Nate. "I’m impressed by your diligence."

They exchange numbers before parting ways, but Chris doesn’t see him again before he flies back to California. He has started packing up his things to move – he has the feeling that he’s not going to be sticking around Palo Alto for long, regardless of the election results – and he guilts Mark and Dustin into helping him get his things together.

"What will you do if he doesn’t win?" asks Mark, because that’s what Mark does.

"I can work for other people in Washington," Chris says, piling his books into a box. "This is where I can do some real good, Mark. It’s not personal."

"I know," Mark says. Chris looks over at Dustin, who has been quiet this whole time.

"You all right, Dustin?" Chris asks quietly.

"It’ll be a lot different without you around," Dustin says after a moment. "It feels like – this is going to be the end of an era, Chris." Without warning, Dustin reaches out and hugs Chris tightly. "I’ll miss you. Do you even know anyone out in D.C.?"

"A few people," Chris says dryly. "I work for a senator, Dustin."

"I mean other people. Non work people." Dustin looks over his shoulder at Mark. "You could try doing that too, Mark. Meeting people you don’t work with."

Mark snorts and folds up Chris’s power cords. "When?"

Dustin rolls his eyes and looks back at Chris. "You’ll be alone out there."

"I have at least one friend," Chris says. "I think you guys would like him. He’s a nice guy."

Dustin lights up at this and badgers Chris into telling him about Nate. Mark actually looks up and pays attention when Chris mentions the Greek and Classics thing. "He sounds acceptable," Mark pronounces eventually.

"I’m glad I have your approval," Chris says dryly. "Because that’s what I always need before I can talk to anyone new."

"Is he cute?" asks Dustin asks with a smirk, elbowing Chris. "Tell me he’s cute."

"Why do you want to know?" Chris asks, his cheeks heating in embarrassment. "You want to date him?"

"I want _you_ to date him," Dustin says. "You deserve someone, Chris."

Chris feels an unaccountable surge of affection bubble up in his chest and he smiles. "Dustin, sometimes you really are very sweet."

Dustin smiles sideways at him and says, "I try my hardest."    


*  
 

Chris runs into Nate at a Starbucks before he has a chance to actually call him and let him know he’s in D.C. Chris is reading his email off his Blackberry when Nate taps him on the shoulder. He turns, distracted, and sees Nate standing there with a coffee in hand, a smile on his face.

  
"Hi," says Nate. "You’re in D.C."  
  
"I was going to call," Chris says blankly, everything he had planned on saying to Nate going out of his head. "I mean, hi. Good to see you."  
  
There’s an awkward moment where Chris isn’t sure if Nate’s going to hug him or shake his hand. Instead they do a weird sort of half hug and Nate falls into line next to Chris. "How long are you here for?"  
  
"The foreseeable future," says Chris. "I moved here last week."  
  
"Oh," says Nate, surprised. "That’s – optimistic."  
  
"My future is here," Chris says. "I was never really – my place at Facebook has long since been obsolete. I can do real things here."  
  
"You’ve already helped change the world, Chris," Nate says, sounding amused. "What more do you need to do?"  
  
"Everything," Chris says honestly and Nate laughs.  
  
"You doing anything right now?" Nate asks. "I’ll show you my office."  
  
Chris shrugs and says, "Sure."  
  
 

*

  
  
After that, they start having dinner once a week, sometimes at a restaurant, sometimes at Nate or Chris’s apartment. Nate is pretty good at cooking and he always has interesting things to say about what Chris is working on. Chris knows less about Nate’s line of business, but he likes listening to Nate talk. Nate has such passion, such idealism; it’s refreshing.  
  
Chris is adult enough to admit that he possibly has a crush on Nate and that it probably isn’t the smartest idea to fall for an ex-Marine; but he also can’t help but just _like_ Nate, and Nate seems to like him too.  
  
Chris meets Nate’s men late in January. Chris has brought over the brownies that his neighbor made for him and Nate is telling Chris about something that his niece did when there’s a knock at the door. Nate moves to get up and Chris says, "I’ll get it, don’t worry about it."  
  
When he opens the door to Nate’s apartment, though, it isn’t the pizza they ordered – it’s a short, wiry guy with cropped dark hair and an intimidatingly tall Viking of a man who raises an eyebrow at Chris.  
  
"Hi," says Chris blankly.  
  
"We’re here to see Nate," the smaller man says, and then he raises his voice and hollers, "Nathaniel!"  
  
"Is that Corporal Person I hear?" Nate calls back and he comes up from behind Chris. "And Brad too."  
  
"I always knew you’d end up with some limp-wristed pussy liberal arts faggot," the little one says enthusiastically, nodding at Chris.  
  
Nate bites his lip, looking like he’s trying very hard not to laugh. "Hello to you too, Ray."  
  
"LT, you did good. Found yourself a cute little blond!" Ray hugs Nate enthusiastically and slaps Nate’s back. "I have to admit, I can see the appeal."  
  
Chris hovers awkwardly off to the side, not sure of what to do or say. After a moment, Nate seems to remember that Chris is there and says, "Ray, let me formally introduce you to Chris Hughes. Chris, this is Ray Person. We served together."  
  
"I figured," says Chris, holding out his hand to shake. Ray does so, his eyes flicking up and down Chris’s body. "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Yeah," says Ray. "I bet you’re one of those hippie idealists that Nate likes so much. Where do you work?"  
  
"I work for Senator Obama," says Chris and Ray starts laughing.  
  
"Yeah, of course you do," Ray says. The tall blond man snorts and steps into the apartment, extending his hand.  
  
"I’m Brad Colbert," he drawls with a smirk. Chris shakes his hand and is taken aback by the strength in Brad’s grip. "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Yes, same here," says Chris. "I’ve heard a lot about you."  
  
Brad glances over at Nate, who shrugs unrepentantly. "You’re someone who warrants much discussion, Brad," says Nate.  
  
"Glad to hear it," says Brad, smirk even more pronounced.  
  
"We ordered pizza, would you like to join us?" Chris asks them and Ray says, "Hell yes, we’d like to join you, wouldn’t we, Bradley?"  
  
Ray is like a non-stop verbal hurricane, even talking through mouthfuls of pizza despite Brad’s repeated attempts to make him stop. Nate ignores all of it with the kind of serene apathy that is product of overexposure. Chris recognizes it; it’s the same reason he’s able to ignore Dustin when he won’t stop making terrible puns or when Mark says something particularly insensitive.  
  
Chris gathers that Ray and Brad have stopped by for a visit on their way north towards New York. Neither of them say why they’re headed to New York and Nate doesn’t ask. Chris eats his pizza and just watches them with interest. Nate seems to have retreated inside himself a little and Chris wonders if this is how he was in Iraq. He’s always known that Nate is a marine; that you never really stop being a marine. But he’s never actually seen Nate with other marines and it’s – not jarring, exactly. Just unusual. Interesting.  
  
They finish up the pizza and Ray leans back on the couch with a sigh. "Now that," he says, "was some fucking amazing pizza."  
  
"Chris found the place," says Nate, giving Chris a small smile.  
  
"Well, Christopher Hughes," says Ray, "you done good."  
  
"We have brownies," Chris says blankly. "My neighbor made them for me."  
  
"Brownies," sighs Ray, resting his hands on his stomach. "God in heaven, have mercy on me and my girlish figure."  
  
"I’ll get them," Chris says, getting to his feet. Brad follows him like a huge, silent shadow. Chris rolls his eyes and says, "I know you’re there."  
  
"Yes," Brad says and he steps forward to loom over Chris, his eyes sharp and predatory. "I know a hundred ways to kill you," says Brad. "Keep that in mind."  
  
"Okay?" says Chris, confused. "Why are you telling me this?"  
  
"Because Nate is my LT, no matter whether we’re here or in Iraq," says Brad. "I watch his back."  
  
Understanding dawns on Chris. "All right," Chris says. "I’ll be careful with him."  
  
Brad rolls his eyes and adds, "This conversation never happened."  
  
"Of course not," agrees Chris. He watches in amusement as Brad turns on his heel and heads back to the living room. Chris collects the plate of brownies and brings them to Ray, who snatches two before Chris has even set the plate down.  
  
"You’re a good girlfriend," Ray tells him and Nate chokes on his glass of water.  
  
"Thanks," Chris says blandly, sitting down next to Nate. "I appreciate that." His thigh nudges up against Nate’s. Nate looks over at him and Chris smiles.  
  
Ray and Brad leave after eating half of the brownies, bidding Nate a fond farewell. After the door closes behind them, Chris turns and asks, "Are they -?"  
  
"I think it’s best not to ask," Nate replies, smiling. Chris looks at him and thinks about how this man is the most interesting person he’s ever met; how, when Nate smiles, his entire face lights up and he looks five years younger.  
  
"Yeah," says Chris, a beat too late, and Nate’s expression changes a little.  
  
Nate says, "I – I hope this is all right," before leaning in to press his lips to Chris’s. Chris freezes, startled. Nate’s lips are chapped and dry, but it’s been a while since Chris has had time to kiss anyone and Nate is – well, Nate. He reaches up and grips Nate’s biceps, closing his eyes.

*

  
"So you’re dating this guy," says Dustin the next time they talk. "Isn’t he like. I don’t know. Aren’t they not supposed to do guys?"  
  
"He’s a civilian now," Chris says, phone wedged between his shoulder and his ear as he makes his bed. "So I don’t think anyone really cares."  
  
"And his buddies don’t mind?"  
  
"They seem to like me, actually." Chris punches one of his pillows into fluffiness and surveys his apartment. "You should come out here sometime. Meet him."  
  
"When you win that election, I’ll come out for the inauguration," Dustin promises, his voice warm. "I’ll even make Mark come out here, too."  
  
"I’d be more impressed if you somehow wrangled Eduardo into being here," Chris mutters.  
  
"I can try," Dustin says.  
  
"I’ll hold you to that," Chris says. 

*

  
Sometimes Nate has bad dreams.  
  
Chris wakes up when it happens. Nate will jerk suddenly, his arm hitting Chris in the shoulder, and Chris gets up, rousing Nate as gently as he can. The first few times, Nate is embarrassed and won’t talk about it. The fourth time, though, Nate swallows a few times, then starts speaking in a low, hoarse voice.  
  
Chris wishes he could do more than just listen and stroke Nate’s hair; but Nate seems to be okay with it. Chris kisses him until he relaxes and then he curls up around Nate, pressing his face into the back of Nate’s neck. It’s weird to think of his beautiful, brilliant Nate out in the middle of the desert, killing people without a second thought; but Chris has seen that ice-cold core of Nate from time to time and he knows that Nate is, without a doubt, a leader.  
  
They both stay up all night during the election, sitting together on the couch and watching CNN. Chris knows before they announce that they’ve won, but he still can’t quite believe it. The moment it’s officially announced, his phone starts ringing nonstop – but Nate is on his knees and giving Chris possibly the best blowjob of his life, his fingers strong on Chris’s thighs. Chris tightens his hand in Nate’s hair and says, "Nate –"  
  
Afterwards, when Nate has wiped off his mouth and Chris has jerked him off, Nate kisses him, long and leisurely, and says, "Congratulations, Chris."

*

  
Dustin, true to his word, drags Mark out to D.C. for the inauguration. Chris brings them to Nate’s for dinner the night they arrive, and the four of them sit around Nate’s small kitchen table, talking amiably as they blow through a few bottles of wine. As the meal winds down, Mark and Nate get embroiled in a discussion of which translation of the Iliad is better. Dustin leans over to Chris.  
  
"He seems like a good guy," Dustin says. "You guys have been together for, what, almost a year?"  
  
"Almost," Chris agrees, startled to realize that it’s been that long. "Christ. I didn’t – that’s a long time."  
  
"And you’re happy?" asks Dustin.  
  
Chris looks over at Nate, whose face is lit with excitement as he gestures enthusiastically. "Yeah," Chris says. "I am."  
  
The four of them go to the inauguration together, bundled up as tightly as they can. Nate wraps his arm around Chris’s waist and leans against him as they stand in the crowd. Dustin cheers loudly and pumps his fist while Mark reads his email on his phone. Nate kisses the corner of Chris’s mouth towards the end and Chris leans into him, pleased that Nate doesn’t seem to care how many people are around them.  
  
Chris attends one of the after events, then goes home with Nate, giving Dustin the keys to his apartment. Dustin winks lasciviously and tells Nate to treat Chris like a lady, which makes them both laugh because Chris isn’t usually the one on bottom.  
  
"I like your friends," Nate says after, lazily stroking his hand through Chris’s hair. "They’re good people."  
  
"They try," Chris says. He presses his mouth to Nate’s collarbone, then traces his fingers down, connecting each small freckle and scar. "I love you, you know that?"  
  
Nate laughs and says, "I had that feeling. I love you too."  
  
"Good," Chris says. He settles down next to Nate and closes his eyes. "I’d hate to sic Mark on you."  
  
"Mark doesn’t frighten me," Nate says and Chris laughs so hard that tears come to his eyes.  
  
"I know," he says once he’s calmed down. "That’s what’s so great about you."  
  
"Are people usually afraid of Mark?" asks Nate curiously.  
  
"He intimidates most people," confirms Chris. "But not you. That’s – I like it. It’s refreshing."  
  
"One of these days, you’re going to have to explain why Mark intimidates people," Nate says drowsily.  
  
"Yeah," says Chris, closing his eyes. "Okay."

*

  
"Should I read the book?" Chris asks Nate once.  
  
"Book?" asks Nate distractedly, looking up from his papers. Chris leans over his shoulder and kisses Nate’s temple.  
  
"Yeah," he says. "Yours or Wright’s."  
  
"Why are you asking me?" asks Nate, frowning in confusion. "You want to read it?"  
  
"Sometimes – it’s just sometimes I think it might help. So you could talk to me about it. If you wanted to." Chris sits down next to Nate. "Or would you rather I don’t know?"  
  
Nate looks at Chris for a long moment, then says, "I – being in a relationship is about knowing the best and worst of each other. If you’re willing – other people I’ve dated didn’t want to think about what I’ve done."  
  
"I want you to be able to talk to me," Chris says firmly. "So which one?"  
  
"Read Evan’s," Nate says. "I – I can tell you what’s in mine." He reaches out and squeezes Chris’s hand. "You have to understand – there are some things that are not pretty to read about. And I’m not the same person I was out there. No one is."  
  
"I know, Nate," Chris says.  
  
"Okay." Nate releases his hand and smiles. "But then you have to tell me about Facebook."  
  
"It’s really not very interesting," Chris protests. "It was mostly Mark and Dustin and Eduardo, I was just – around."  
  
"Well, tell me about what they did," Nate says. "Tell me – tell me about Eduardo."  
  
"That," Chris says, "will take kind of a long time."  
  
"I’m listening," Nate says. 

*

  
They fight, like every couple does. Nate is more conservative than Chris on a lot of issues. They shout and yell and they make up again, usually by having sex. Nate has never really been out and he is reluctant to make a lot of public appearance for fear of looking as though he’s trying to push a repeal of DADT.  
  
"But you think it’s stupid!" Chris yells, throwing up his hands.  
  
"It is stupid! Out of the many things that the American military does wrong, this is probably the least important," snaps Nate.  
  
"It’s a matter of symbols," says Chris. "They’re telling us – telling _you_ – that your sexuality is something to be ashamed of!"  
  
"It’s not a policy that gets people killed," says Nate.  
  
"It gets some people killed," Chris says and Nate sighs.  
  
"All right, that’s true," he admits. "But I can’t – this isn’t something I can do, not right now."  
  
Chris rubs his face. "Will you ever be ready?"  
  
Nate thinks for a moment. "I have faith," he says after a moment. "I think we know what’s right and the moment it’s safe for _you_? That’s when I hold your hand anywhere you please."  
  
"Safe for _me_?" Chris asks, surprised.  
  
"You think I’m worried for myself?" Nate asks in disbelief. "I’m worried about _you_. I don’t want anyone dragging you into an attack on me, and they will. I’m the CEO of a think-tank that advises the president. I can’t let them discredit us and I can’t let them use _us_ to harm the president."  
  
Chris falls silent and considers this. "I love you," he says finally.  
  
Nate smiles slowly and closes the distance between them. 

*

  
The day DADT Repeal Act passes, Nate takes Chris out to dinner in the center of D.C. and kisses him in full view of anyone who cared to see. They hold hands all the way to the restaurant and Chris gets congratulated by at least ten people who knew he had helped run the internet campaign for the act. Some of them do double takes at Nate, but most take it in stride.  
  
The next day, Chris gets calls from magazines and newspapers asking for his comment and if he is really in a relationship with Captain Nathaniel Fick. He gives them a soundbite about it being high time that such blatant discrimination was stricken from the book and then says, "Nate Fick and I have been waiting for this for a long time." Nate squeezes his shoulder and Chris reaches up to tangle their fingers together. 

*

  
Chris buys the rings two weeks before their trip to Thailand. He stares at them in the store for a long time – two simple gold bands – then gets the clerk’s attention.  
  
"Getting married?" the clerk asks with a friendly smile.  
  
Chris returns the smile shakily. "I hope so. I haven’t asked yet."  
  
"Well, good luck," she says brightly. "I hope it goes well."  
  
"So do I," Chris mutters under his breath. He clears his throat and says, "Thank you," before paying for the rings.  
  
For the next two weeks, Chris can’t stop thinking about the rings hidden in his laptop bag. They’ve never talked about marriage, but Chris had seen Nate’s face when his sister had gotten married. He had looked – wistful.  
  
He keeps waiting for the right moment, but they’re so busy in the week after Christmas that he doesn’t get a chance. They get held up at the airport for a full day thanks to the post-Christmas storm, and Chris sleeps with his head pillowed on Nate’s thigh, exhausted and frustrated.  
  
When they do finally make it to their hotel, Chris can’t help but think that if anything was going to make them have a knock-down drag-out fight, it would be a night in an airport followed by a twenty hour flight. And yeah, they had snipped at each other a little on the way to the hotel, but all Chris wants to do is kiss Nate and have leisurely sex on the king-sized bed.  
  
So he fumbles the rings out of his laptop bag and says, "Nate."  
  
Nate turns to look at him, the skin under his green eyes dark with exhaustion. "What is it?"  
  
"I have – I have something to ask you," Chris says, stuttering a little, and he falls to one knee. "Nate," he says, watching as Nate’s eyes widen. "I have thought about this for a long time and I’m hoping – I hope you feel the same. I – I love you so much."  
  
"Are you asking me to marry you?" asks Nate in a disbelieving tone.  
  
"Yes," Chris says, heart in his throat. "Am I – was this a bad idea?"  
  
"No!" Nate falls to his knees next to Chris and takes one of the rings from Chris. "No, Chris – I love you. I love you, of course I want to marry you." He puts the ring on and then slides the other one onto Chris’s hand, smiling so wide that Chris can see almost every tooth.  
  
"Oh, good," says Chris and he kisses Nate full on the mouth before pushing him back on the bed for that sex he’d been thinking about.  
  
After they’re sprawled out on the bed, panting and exhausted, Nate says, "How long have you been thinking about this?"  
  
"A couple of weeks," Chris admits. "Surprised?"  
  
"Yeah. In a good way." Nate rolls over and kisses Chris’s collarbone. "Perfect timing, too. We can have an early honeymoon while we’re here."  
  
Chris admits, "I hadn’t considered that." He curves towards Nate. "Want to start with a shower?"  
  
"Let’s just sleep," Nate suggests, his voice already far away. "We can shower in the morning."  
  
Chris closes his eyes and smiles. "All right. Love you."  
  
"Love you too," Nate murmurs.


End file.
